Two reflective adventure novels
Plus the best dark academia and short novels you can read in a weekend
Hey, readers!
I’m feeling a little weary this week. I’m currently typing this with a fussy baby who all of a sudden only wants to be on mama all of the time so we’re going to skip the prologue today and get straight into the books. I have two really wonderful books to tell you about today. Both of them are excellent on audio and both made me feel so deeply in the way only a book can.
This week in books.
This week I read…
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. This dystopic novel takes place in a near future America where PACT—Preserve American Culture and Traditions—is the law of the land. The novel follows twelve-year-old Bird. He lives on a college campus with his father—a former professor of linguistics who now works at the university’s library. His mother Margaret, a Chinese American poet, has been gone for three years and Bird has been told repeatedly by his father and everyone else to forget her. But one day an envelope arrives addressed to Bird with a picture he is certain his mother drew, unlocking the memories he’s tried to bury—his mother’s love, her warmth, and her stories come flooding back. That’s all I want to say in terms of plot because I found the reflective pace of the novel and the way each clue unfolds to be a true joy to experience. I will say that I enjoyed Part I of the book the most as a reading experience, but I see why Ng included all she did in Part II to fill out her story and make her point. This is very much a political book and it doesn’t hide its issues or agenda. But while the social and political themes are overt, they work seamlessly with the story and characters, and everything felt natural and terrifyingly real. While this book is a departure for Ng in terms of genre, readers familiar with her will recognize the themes of family, secrets, adoption, and biracial identity from her other works. I was profoundly moved by Bird and loved my experience reading this book. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga. I heard about this new early reader novel from Olivia on From the Front Porch podcast and purchased a copy for my 7 year old niece. I decided to read it alongside her, but found it so compelling I couldn’t help but devour it. This is a lovely story about a fictitious mars rover named Resilience and a young girl who copes with her own struggles growing up by writing Resilience letters. I adored the narrative voice Warga gives to Resilience and watching him learn—both what he needs to for his mission and the human emotions that sometimes get in the way of that mission—was really moving. This is a great story about friendship, loyalty, courage, and—yes—resilience, and a great book for young readers interested in space. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
Now I’m reading…
Babel by R.F. Kuang. This is a long one so you’ll see it here for several weeks. I’m loving it more and more the further I get into it. Amazon | Bookshop | Libro.fm
If you are an international reader or just prefer UK covers, you can also order books through my Blackwell’s affiliate page!
Links I love.
Does the New York Times Books section cover Black authors differently? Here’s a breakdown.
This round-up of short novels you can read in a weekend includes three books I love and two on my TBR.
15 dark academia novels to read this fall.
We love small presses! Here’s a profile of the small publishing house that’s home to Nobel Laureates and news about the acquisition of one of my favorite small presses.
A Wrinkle in Time is becoming a musical, and I’m uncertain but intrigued.
Three novels about the power of translation.
I’m not caught up on the Great British Baking Show but I have shared my love of it before. Here’s an examination of some of the problems with the show, including the much criticized Mexican Week episode.
End notes.
Three things making me happy this week:
The way Louise watches her big cousins. In the last few months she’s really developed an interest in other kids and there’s nothing cooler to her than getting to spend time with the big kids in her own family.
Our Rey to Z hats. I got Louise a personalized baseball hat, which is the cutest thing ever, but I also got myself a plain beanie and it’s super nice. Exactly what I wanted in terms of look and color, and not itchy at all.
I’m pretty sure I already shared about my CALPAK belt bag, but its on sale so I wanted to put it on your radar again! After traveling with it, I love it all the more. I’m constantly surprised by how much it fits: wallet, phone, snacks, the Munchkin water bottle—and if I’m going out without Lou I’ve also been stashing my Kindle in it for fitting in small moments of reading on the go.
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Readers, thanks for sticking with this newsletter through the first year of Lou’s life! For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!
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Happy reading!
Sara